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Seafood is widely consumed across the globe due to its high-quality proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. They are highly perishable in nature due to their moisture content and nutrients enabling oxidative reactions and rapid growth of micro-organisms. To bring seafood from the sea to dinner table either chilling or freezing is required to maintain nutritional and organoleptic properties. This would lead to increased energy consumption, spending and green house gas emissions. Due to this the seafood industries are looking for a novel non-thermal food processing technique as a pretreatment. In this review ultrasound as a promising pretreatment technology used in-combination with different treatments in seafood is explored. Ultrasound demonstrates various key features such as increased process efficiency, effective microbial inactivation, improved quality, minimization of process stages, keeping desired quality attributes such as texture, nutrition, organoleptic properties intact along with enhanced shelf life. The current status and recent research findings on the influence of ultrasound on the physiochemical (color, texture, pH, and moisture content) and nutritional qualities of seafood are comprehensively discussed. The energy required and ideal operating conditions of the ultrasound for microbial inactivation of various seafood are also discussed. The positive outcomes of ultrasound pretreatment demonstrated a high potential for ensuring microbiological safety with a minimum alteration in nutritional and organoleptic properties of seafood products.

Summary: Starch is a versatile biomaterial with a wide range of applications across various industrial sectors. Therefore, starch isolation methods play a crucial role in fulfilling the demand for high‐quality starch required for different applications. Waxy maize starch is the most used starch for different food applications. It is isolated using an alkaline extraction method and available in the market at a high price. The traditional process of starch isolation involves labour‐intensive and costly downstream processing that leads to exploring cost‐effective isolation methods for various food applications. Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) is an underutilised cereal crop composed of 65–70% of starch. In the present study, the starch from finger millet is isolated using conventional and ultrasound‐assisted isolation methods to fulfil the current requirement. The isolated finger millet starch was characterised by morphological structure obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray diffractogram (XRD), infrared spectrum obtained by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT‐IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis, and rheological analysis. The SEM images confirmed the reduced particle size and uniform grain size distribution in the starch isolated using ultrasound‐assisted isolation. The relative crystallinity of starch isolated using ultrasound‐assisted isolation method (69.05 ± 0.57%) was higher compared to other conventional isolation methods (57.18 ± 0.70%, 67.66 ± 1.00%, and 68.34 ± 0.33% for distilled water soaking, alkali soaking, and sodium bisulphite soaking, respectively). The FTIR analysis confirmed no significant changes in the functional group of starch with respect to different isolation methods. Thermal and rheological analysis of isolated starch using ultrasound‐assisted isolation indicated the lowest gelatinisation enthalpy (45.38 ± 1.67 J/g) and showed the lowest loss factor indicating the most elastic behaviour, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for plant‐based proteins has significantly increased as compared to meat‐based proteins for a variety of reasons like increasing vegetarianism, meat analogs, and easy digestion. However, consumer acceptance for plant‐based proteins is low due to beany taste and off‐flavors. Therefore, this study aims to eliminate beany taste and off‐flavors of blood fruit seed protein by probiotic fermentation and spray drying. The probiotic fermented and non‐fermented protein isolate slurry samples were spray‐dried at 160°C and 180°C to get a shelf‐stable free flow protein powder. The probiotic count for the fermented spray dried samples at both temperatures was found less than 5 Log CFU/g; hence, the protein isolates are not probiotic in nature. The protein quality parameters of blood fruit seed protein were assessed. The results revealed that all the quality parameters were found better at 160°C, thus obtaining a superior quality blood fruit seed protein isolate. Practical applications: Blood fruit seed protein is rich in essential amino acids and bioactive peptides. The essential amino acids of blood fruit seed protein are higher than the adult daily recommended allowance. The amino acids of blood fruit seed protein possess better digestibility index, digestible indispensable amino acid score and protein digestibility corrected amino acid score compared to soy protein. But the consumer acceptance is low due to its beany off‐flavor. However, this study revealed that the lactic acid fermentation and spray drying reduced the off‐flavor of blood fruit seed protein to a greater extent. The fermentation and spray‐drying improved the overall functional properties of blood fruit seed protein isolate. Hence, the new plant protein isolate could be used as an emulsifier, a gelling and foaming agent, a humectant, and an encapsulating material for various food and pharmaceutical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blood fruit is an underutilized and highly nutritious fruit available in the Northeastern part of India. Proper design and development of sorting and grading systems help in improving the utilization of the fruit. Mass-based grading is more economical than the size-based grading of fruits. The main aim of this study is to investigate the physical, biochemical, thermal, and textural properties of blood fruit and also to determine the best models for predicting the mass of blood fruit using its physical properties. Various physical properties include dimensions, diameters, area, and volume were measured. The fruit is also a good source of phytochemicals like total phenolic compounds (678.21 ± 10.71), flavonoids (489.80 ± 6.72), and anthocyanins (581.21 ± 5.31), respectively. Four different empirical models such as linear, quadratic, power, and s-curve were used to correlate the mass of blood fruit with its physical properties. Fruit width and projected area perpendicular to width in the quadratic model and ellipsoidal volume in the linear model were found best based on the highest R2 for predicting the mass of blood fruit. The present study would significantly increase the knowledge base and useful to design and fabricate postharvest equipment like graders and sorters, which in turn increases the value and commercialization of the fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kendu (Diospyros melanoxylon Roxb.) is an underutilized nutritious fruit found in most of the Asian countries. The proper design and development of a grading system would help in improving the utilization of the fruit. Mass-based grading is more economical than the size-based grading of fruits. The present study determines the best-suited models for predicting the Kendu mass using various physical attributes. The physical attributes like linear dimensions, diameters, areas, volumes, aspect ratio, sphericity, and frictional properties of Kendu fruit were measured. The true volume, surface area, and porosity of the fruit were 21,840 mm3, 3522.77 mm2, and 54.72%, respectively. The fruit was spherical with a sphericity value of 1. Four different models viz. linear, quadratic, power, and s-curve were used to correlate the mass of fruit with its physical attributes. The quadratic and linear models were found to be the best models for predicting the mass of Kendu using different physical attributes. The best fit of the model was selected according to the high coefficient of determination (R2) values. The results obtained from this work would contribute to the scientific knowledge base for designing grading, sorting, and processing equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study deals with the engineering properties of three Indian kiwi cultivars. These engineering properties will facilitate the farmers, and industry personals involve in handling, packaging and transportation of fresh harvested fruit. The complete information on physical, mechanical, thermal and biochemical properties of three Indian kiwi cultivars were presented in this paper. This knowledge may be utilized to design and develop modern machineries for primary processing, and packaging of fresh kiwifruit. The shelf life study data also provided in this paper which will help the growers and processors for safe handling, packaging and transportation of the fruit. The physical dimensions viz. length, width and thickness, mean diameters, surface area, volume, sphercity, static coefficient of friction on different materials were measured for all the three Indian cultivars. Significant (p<0.05) difference for aspect ratio with Hayward and Monty was observed. Bruno was bigger and heavier than others cultivars. Mean diameters (GMD, AMD and EMD) were varying less than 10%. The mechanical properties viz. firmness, hardness, adhesiveness, adhesive force and total positive area for peeled and unpeeled Hayward, Bruno and Monty. Thermal properties i.e. thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity, thermal diffusivity and latent heat of fusion and biochemical properties i.e. moisture, pH, titrable acidity and total soluble solids were also measured in this study. Significant (p<0.05) for total positive area was observed for Bruno with Hayward and Monty was observed. No significant (p>0.05) difference for moisture and sphericity was observed between Hayward and Monty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sohiong (Prunus nepalensis L.) is an underutilised fruit from north-eastern part of India. It is reported to be a good source of dietary bioactive compounds. Even though it is very much popular as a nutritious fruit among the local tribes, there is no scientific information available on the physicochemical characterisation and value-addition of the fruit. In this work, various physical, mechanical, thermal, and biochemical properties of Sohiong fruit, important for process, machine and product development, were determined. Sohiong is found to be rich in total polyphenols, anthocyanin content, β-carotenes and has good antioxidant capacity compared to plums and cherries. The physical and mechanical properties were used to predict the mass of the fruit by using various models like quadratic, S-curve and power models. The fruits were divided into small, medium and large groups based on mass to minimise standard deviation. Mass could be predicted with maximum accuracy when the models were based on thickness and volume. The power and quadratic models were best suited for mass prediction in all mass groups and other mass distribution (small, medium and large groups). The results of physicochemical characterisation and mass modelling of the fruit would add information to the scientific knowledge base. It would help in design and development of storage, handling, processing and value-addition protocols and equipment for better utilisation of the Sohiong fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sohiong (Prunus nepalensis) fruit is an underutilized fruit of Northeastern part of India and is known as a rich source of micronutrients, polyphenols, and anthocyanin. The synergistic effect of ultrasound and enzymatic treatment on extraction of Sohiong fruit juice was investigated for maximum juice yield. The process variables in juice extraction were modeled and optimized by Box–Behnken design. The combined impact of ultrasound and pectinase enzyme on various quality characteristics was studied. The juice recovery and the quality of juice were found to be optimum at 90% ultrasound amplitude with ultrasound treatment time of 9.95 min, enzyme concentration of 0.03% w/w, and incubation time of 57.44 min. This process was then compared with only enzymatic extraction. As a whole ultrasound pretreatment significantly increases the juice yield by 20%, total soluble solids by 24%, anthocyanin by 25%, total phenols by 8%, and DPPH radical scavenging activity by 4.4%. Moreover, combined ultrasound and pectinase enzyme treatment significantly reduces the juice extraction time by 22 min compared with enzyme treatment alone. Hence, this could be an efficient alternative emerging technique to extract juice from the fruit. Practical applications: Good quality juice production from fruits is difficult with enzyme treatment alone. Therefore, there has been an increasing research trend toward extracting the fruit juice with maximum recovery of phytochemicals. This study provides an insight on synergistic effect of ultrasound‐assisted enzymatic extraction of Sohiong fruit juice with improved quality with maximum juice yield. This study also provides an optimization of the process and possible solution for scaling up the process in the industrial level for increased juice yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]